[Shanghai] Goga (2)

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[Shanghai] Goga (2)

Goga

Add: 1 Yueyang Lu, near Dongping Lu 岳阳路1号, 近东平路
Tel: 6431 9700
Hours: 6:30-10:30pm
Prices: 300~350 RMB/person (without wine)
Visited on: Nov 2011 (visit 1)

Another casual dinner at the small but delicious Goga, and this time I made sure to reserve a bar seat where I could see the open kitchen in full action. Alas Brad Turley wasn’t there that evening, but it’s good to know that his staff is able to manage the place without his presence.

We started the meal with something we haven’t tasted before – Sizzling Kampachi Sashimi (95 RMB) with fresh yuzu, white soy, and white truffle. A few irresistible slices of kampachi resting a a puddle of white soy and white truffle, delicious.

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[Shanghai] Cuivre

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[Shanghai] Cuivre

Cuivre

Add: 1502 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Wulumuqi Lu 淮海中路1502号, 近乌鲁木齐路
Tel: 6437 4219
Hours: [daily] 6-10:30pm [weekend brunch] 11:30am-2:30pm
Website: www.cuivre.cn
Price: [dinner] 250~350 RMB/person [brunch] 188 RMB/set
Visited: Nov 2011

It’s hard to not notice the warm glow exuding from Cuivre’s windows if you pass by its storefront. This upscale French bistro, adorned with copper coils (very approrpiate given the name Cuivre, “copper” in French), leather chairs, woven wood/bamboo light fixtures, is a welcoming and slightly quirky place. Fill the space with Michael Wendling’s straight-forward and delicious Southern French fare, and we’ve got a winning combination.

Bikes converted into bar seating? They don’t look very comfortable.


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[Shanghai] Hof (2)

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[Shanghai] Hof (2)

Hof

Add: 30 Sinan Lu, near Huaihai Zhong Lu 思南路30号, 近淮海中路
Tel: 6093 2058 / 6093 2052
Hours: [Tue-Thu] 11am-midnight [Fri-Sun] 11am-1am
Price: [cakes] 30~42 RMB [truffles] 10-13 RMB [wine] 38-55 RMB/glass
Visited: Nov 2011

Hof is old news, but its selection of chocolate desserts never fails to draw a steady crowd.

I arrived at 2pm sharp to claim my reservation, and was luckily given the innermost sofa seats.

The two of us went a little crazy and ordered 4 cakes and 3 chocolate truffles…but you can’t blame us, everything looked too alluring. And yes, we finished ’em all. Mmhmm.


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[Shanghai] Vienna Cafe

Categories shanghai
[Shanghai] Vienna Cafe

Vienna Cafe

Add: 25 Shaoxing Lu, near Ruijin Er Lu / 绍兴路25号，近瑞金二路
Tel: 6445 2131
Hours: 8am-8pm
Website: www.viennashanghai.com
Price: [coffee] 25~40 RMB [cakes] 20~45 RMB
Visited: Nov 2011

Vienna Cafe is old news. This cozy little place has been around since 2004, attracting coffee drinkers with its dark wooden decor, marbled tabletops, warm lighting, and a lovely sunroom that’s perfect for lazy afternoons.


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[Shanghai] Cafe & Deli Natural

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[Shanghai] Cafe & Deli Natural

Cafe & Deli Natural

Add: Room 101, No. 2, Lane 99 Ronghua East Rd, near Shuicheng Rd 荣华西道99弄金马公寓2号101室，近水城南路
Tel: 6219 9115
Hours: [Sun-Thu] 11:30am-10:30pm [Fri-Sat] 11:30am-midnight
Price: [lunch] 55 RMB [desserts] 25~50 RMB [dinner] 120~180 RMB
Visited: Nov 2011

Discovered another cozy cafe in Gubei. Polished wooden tables, leather sofa, eclectic knickknacks, warm palettes of brown and cream. What they serve – light and healthy Japanese comfort dishes, and a decent cup of coffee.

There are several lunch sets at Cafe & Deli Natural, all priced at 55 RMB. LOCO MOCO Hamburger Plate (55 RMB) came with a burger patty, a scoop of white rice, an over easy egg, tomato soup, and potato salad. The sizable beef patty was nicely done, though not as amazing as those at Big Apple.

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[Shanghai] Trip

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[Shanghai] Trip

Trip Add: 1F, No. 4 Lane 3911, Hongmei Road 虹梅路3911弄SOHO3911 4号别墅1楼 Hours: [Mon-Fri] 11-12am [Sat-Sun] 11-2am Website: blog.goo.ne.jp/trip3911 Price: [lunch] 40~50 RMB [desserts] 25~35 RMB [dinner] approx. 100 RMB Organ, a cozy little Japanese cafe (one of my favorite places for a light lunch), has recently closed and reopened as Trip on Hongmei Road. The dishes are…Continue Reading “[Shanghai] Trip” →

[Shanghai] High Tea at Aura, The Ritz-Carlton Pudong

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[Shanghai] High Tea at Aura, The Ritz-Carlton Pudong

The Ritz-Carlton Pudong

Add: Ritz-Carlton Pudong, 52/F, 8 Shiji Da Dao / 世纪大道8号, 上海浦东丽思卡尔顿酒店52楼
Tel: 2020 1717 / 2020 1888
Hours: [afternoon tea] 2:30-5pm
Website: www.ritzcarlton.com
Price: 198~268 RMB + 15%/afternoon tea set
Visited: Nov 2011

Please note that this is an arranged tasting.

It was a full house when I visited Aura on a Saturday afternoon. The atmosphere was perfectly vivacious – not so quiet that I felt obligated to mute my conversations, but not so loud that it felt clamorous in the least bit. With soothing live jazz permeating the air, gracious waitresses and waiters waltzing around, and a full view of Lujiazui and the Bund – I knew this is a place worth lingering.



The Ritz-Carlton Afternoon Tea Set (268 RMB + 15%) is a traditional three-tier affair. Though it’s designed for one person only, the abundance of food is enough to satisfy two people. Smaller sets and a la carte options are also available.


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[Shanghai] Sunday Supper at Madison

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[Shanghai] Sunday Supper at Madison

Madison

Add: 3/F, 18 Dongping Lu, near Hengshan Lu 东平路18号, 近衡山路
Tel: 6437 0136
Hours: [daily] 6-10:30pm [Sat-Sun Brunch] 12-3pm
Price: [dinner] 300 RMB/person [brunch] ~100 RMB/person
Visited: Nov 2011

2012 update: Madison has moved here.

My (yet another) gloriously gluttonous weekend culminated at the Madison’s weekly family-style Sunday Supper. The deal: 300 RMB per person for a free flow of hearty dishes, add another 50 RMB for a free flow of drinks. The theme this week? Holiday Turkey! Now who can resist a sumptuous spread of citrus roasted turkey, giblet gravy, orange-ginger cranberry sauce,mashed potatoes with scallions, candied yam with homemade marshmallows, and pumpkin pie with bourbon whipped cream?

Yeah, you better loosen that belt.

These classic holiday dishes need no introductions. On with the pictures, starting with pumpkin sourdough bread.

Creamy, velvety smooth mashed potatoes with scallions.


Candied yam crowned with homemade marshmallows.


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[Shanghai] Fulton Place – The Goodbye

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[Shanghai] Fulton Place – The Goodbye

Fulton Place

Add: 1/F, 570 Yongjia Lu, near Yueyang Lu 永嘉路570号, 近岳阳路
Tel: 3461 1775
Hours: 6-10:30pm (closed on Monday and Sunday)
Website: www.fultonplace.cn
Price:  350~450 RMB/person
Visited: Oct 2011

Yesterday afternoon, I received the following message from Fulton Place:

“After fifteen great months, Fulton Place will be open for the last time this Saturday 29 October.  We are working on an exciting new venture in a soon-to-be disclosed location, and have realized that keeping Fulton Place open and maintaining our high standards while working on this isn’t feasible. We would like to thank all of our customers, old and new, for their support over the past year or so: we’ve made some great friends and had a lot of fun. We hope you will come down to see us tonight or tomorrow night and help us go out with a bang!”

What?! I’m very sad to hear that Fulton Place will be no more. Here are some highlights from a recent meal I had there – an evening filled with memorable dishes, a gracious host (thanks Nat), and great conversations. For details on the restaurant itself, click here to see my previous post on Fulton Place.

The amuse bouche shot of the night was a chilled carrot soup with porcini mushroom foam. Wonderfully aromatic.

Good bread, awesome butter.

Our appetizer, lightly smoked kampachi (105 RMB) in a soft orange pink puddle of Bloody mary sauce, was a happy marriage between cooked and uncooked flavors. The kampachi was only very lightly smoked and spiced, so its subtle flavor was highlighted rather than subdued. Delightful start.


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[Shanghai] House of Wine

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[Shanghai] House of Wine

House of Wine

Add: 7/F, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Guangdong Lu 中山东一路3号7楼, 近广东路
Tel: 3366 4788
Hours: 4pm-1am (closed on Sunday)
Website: www.threeonthebund.com
Price: depends on the bottle
Visited: Oct 2011

Please note that this was an arranged tasting.

House of Wine (also known as HOW) is a rustic and cozy French wine bar located on the 7th floor of Three on the Bund (along with Jean Georges, Nougatine, New Heights, etc.) It’s a casual and intimate gathering place where you can share a few bottles of wine among friends while nibbling off a classic French snack menu. Charcuterie? Seafood platter? Beef ribs? Croque Monsieur et Madam? They’ve got ’em all.

HOW directly imports wines from French organic vineyards, ranging from Loire Valley, Bordeaux region, South West , Languedoc-Roussillon, Rhone Valley, Provence, Beaujolais, Burgundy, Alsace and Champagne. The cellar houses an extensive selection with a wide price range – starting from 55 rmb for a glass, and from 250rmb to a few thousands for a bottle.


We started with a plate of assorted cold cuts and antipasti (138 RMB).

Then, a refreshing seafood platter (388 RMB) of 6 oysters, 8 Souther Ocean shrimps, 4 Alaska King Crab legs, and 1 whole bread crab. FYI, the seafood platter gets discounted to 300 RMB every Friday.

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